Shinrei Tantei Yakumo – 13 (END)

In a surprising turn of events, just about nothing is revealed this week. Instead, my mind was pretty blown away after watching Gotou get shot. But besides watching one of my favorite characters go down pretty hard, I thought it was pretty crazy watching Yakumo’s father try to actually take over Yakumo’s body. Throughout the entire series, I was always wondering what the point of pushing Yakumo into the darkness was for. Up until this point, it has always looked like one lame attempt after another – when in fact the mail goal wasn’t just to drown Yakumo in darkness but to drown him in so much darkness that it’d be easy to claim his body. I’ll admit I was pretty nervous after seeing such a creepy smile come out of Yakumo, not to mention seeing both of his eyes turn red was fairly creepy. Of course, Yakumo isn’t weak enough to become a puppet for his father. After playing it really pretty slick, pretending to have become his father, Yakumo uses Isshin’s red contact to trick Miyuki into dropping her defenses – allowing him to disarm her before she could shoot Haruka. After a rather uneventful final battle between Yakumo and his father, it was weird seeing his father so beat up after a failed possession attempt. To really seal the deal that he wasn’t going to fall into darkness, Yakumo opens his heart up to the doctor who stabbed Isshin. Knowing his true intentions were to save his daughters life, they exchange a few words with each other. After a minute or so, Yakumo decides to allow the doctor to use Isshin’s body to save his daughter Yoshiko – only if he promises to turn himself over to the police afterwords. As Yakumo finishes his conversation with the doctor his father disappears in a flash of light, vowing to return one day.

While the first half the episode was a real disappointment to me, the wrap up of everything was done really well. Starting with Isshin’s funeral service, I found it quite honorable to watch the doctor give his prayer before going with the police. I figured that Gotou would take custody over Nao, but it was fun to watch Yakumo harass him a little before finally giving his approval. He even got Gotou to quit smoking! The real clincher was when Yakumo sat in the main hall, talking to Isshin’s spirit. As Haruka walks in, it looks as if Yakumo is just talking to himself. I thought that by not showing Isshin’s ghostly figure and having only a candle go out to prove he was there served as a stronger way to conclude the series instead of showing him through Yakumo’s eye. Going out on a strong note, the series ends with Haruka’s embracing Yakumo as the credits start to roll.

As far as replaced ending sequences go, I love it when a series decides to give a pseudo-epilogue. Just by being able to see into everyone’s lives gives a sense of closure. Especially with Gotou and Ishii – Gotou finally spending time with his wife with Nao now living with him and Ishii becoming a stronger person on his own accord.

Final Impressions:

Wow, where do I start? Seeing how I think the last few episodes of the series were easily the best of the bunch, Shinrei Tantei Yakumo leaves me in a pretty precarious predicament. I don’t like to say that a series is bad, but I think Yakumo would fall under my fairly disappointed category. I was expecting a show that would have mysteries with depth and a ghostly twist to them. I was thinking that it would be nice to have something Detective Conan-esque, since Yakumo followed the one mystery per episode approach for a while. Instead, the mysteries felt sort of limp and didn’t really flesh out any emotions from me. Too many times did the episode feel rushed with the conclusion having nothing to do with the overall story line. However, toward the end this series made a complete 180. When the writers starting stretching out the arcs to two or more episodes, everything seemed to fix itself; the mysteries felt like they were actual mysteries, the ghostly aspect starting coming through, and the cast got to show just what they’re made of – especially Gotou and Isshin. Gotou proved to me that you can be awesome bad-ass but still be caring at the same time. From taking down a bad guy after getting shot to his fatherly affection for Nao, I just can’t help but love the guy. Isshin on the other hand plays the role of the wise mentor. I can’t imagine how much he’s helped Yakumo throughout the years but using his short talk with Yoshiko as an example, the man used all of his wisdom to help others.

Finishing this series was a little bit of a push in the beginning, but I can safely say the ending to the series was pretty good. This show is definitely one of the more underappreciated ones this season, but I hope that since it’s finished some people will go and watch the entire thing. I think this show shines because since it’s not solely a mystery series, it has the opportunity to branch out and cover other topics that strictly mystery shows wouldn’t. The biggest one that appealed to me was the whole family aspect. Besides giving Nao plenty of screen time with Gotou, showing how important the bond between father and child is, it was great to watch Yakumo finally understand the type of family he has beside him. While the people around him may not be related by blood, they all care for him just as much as a regular family would.

Isshin is a classical “wise cleric”, I was amazed by his personality. Gotou was also nice “burned out detective who still cares”. I liked the series simply because it was different from the flood of romantic comedies and fanservice shows. Hoping for more of the like!

Back when I saw the preview, I thought this might be like Ghost Hunt. Now, I know that this is completely different from Ghost Hunt, but I think it was satisfactory as a supernatural drama. Maybe that’s why most people aren’t watching this.

Your final impressions mirrored mine to a T… I would rate this series a B. Could have been better but could have also been worse. Interesting premise and characters but the 1st few episodes it seemed like the makers didn’t know where they were going with the story. Once we reached the point where Miyuki and his father came into the picture the story got very interesting and each week I couldn’t wait to see next weeks episode. Good way to finish this series. I would not mind watching a second season.

This series focus a lot more on people lives and interaction than the actual mystery and ghost aspect itself. Overall, not a bad series, but it could have been better. My favorite episode is still the first episode, especially the ending when Yakumo brought closure to Haruka. I must admit, that was one intense emotional experience. Of course, I continue to watch the rest of the series mainly for the Yakumo-Haruka moments as well as the crime solving-mysteries. Haruka’s story still won me over…maybe because I share a similar experience as her.

I bet ya this series would have been totally different if it was a fully 24 eps series. Yakumo’s past and his father remain a mystery. Isshin died, but Nao is happy in a new family making two broken pieces found wholeness in one another. Now, Yakumo is really alone. Even Haruka and Yakumo was made whole. Apparently, two lonely and depressed souls can find happiness in each other…

Anyone who didn’t watch this series to the end is doomed to live on in agony as ghosts when they die, calling it right here! But seriously, I have to mirror the frustration at the lack of interest and how easily people were discouraged in the beginning, all I have to say to them is that if you’re willing to try good things will come your way, so take some time off and go check it out already!

Thanks so much for sticking with it Takaii, and giving it some much publicity after the lackluster performance from the rest of the anime blogging community this season, in my opinion.

I am confused. So if Isshin is Yakumo’s real father, how would that explain the reason Yakumo can see spirits? Or was Yakumo trying to deny his father’s existence by saying that his uncle is his father?

Man, Takaii, you pretty much summed up my feelings. I’ve started recommending this series to people now, but I’m always sure to tell them to watch to the end because it’s not anywhere near the way it is in the beginning

Definitely one of the most under-appreciated shows of the season, though I agree there were things they could have done better. Still, it ends up in my good book of anime (or whatever you might call it :) )

finally finished this episode! Nicely done ending…
the battle itself was somewhat intense with the fighting over body part, and Yakumo really tricked me with his red contact…
Gotou is the man! though I thought he might die from the gun shot, and glad he didn’t :)
Thanks for all the posts, Takaii!